


Forever Home

by SharkGirl



Series: Home [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animal Hybrids, Animal Hybrid AU, Cute, Established Relationship, First Meeting, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Ending, M/M, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 14:39:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7109572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi was certain he would be purchased by a wealthy family and placed in a good home.  Fed lavish meals and treated well in exchange for his protection.  He thought of nothing else but that end goal, as it had been ingrained into his mind from the moment he could crawl. </p><p>That was, until he met Oikawa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ilirea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilirea/gifts).



> Ah, I had to!! Also, desperately trying not to call this "The Fox and the Hound" orz
> 
> Thank you, Ilirea, for planting this seed in my brain~
> 
> And thanks to my beta, indevan, as always!

Iwaizumi was the pride of his litter.  Strong, brave, and loyal.  He passed every test with flying colors, placing first with little to no effort.  He was certain he would be purchased by a wealthy family and placed in a good home.  Fed lavish meals and treated well in exchange for his protection.

He thought of nothing else but that end goal, as it had been ingrained into his mind from the moment he could crawl. 

That was, until he met Oikawa.

Iwazumi was eight years old.  Many people had come to look at him and, once he was old enough, the scientists had all but promised he’d find a respectable ‘forever home’ in no time.

He was minding his own business, choosing to train alone while the other pups – as they called them – sparred against each other.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone practically flew into him, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling onto his back.

At first he thought it was Kyoutani again.  That little whelp was always challenging him and, although he appreciated the exercise, he was in no mood at the moment.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw fluffy chestnut hair and large, pointed ears.  The other boy, who had landed face first on his chest, pulled back slightly, his nose red from the sudden impact.

The first thing Iwaizumi noticed about him, apart from his ears, was his slender form.  He obviously hadn’t been lifting weights or sparring with the other pups.  He had willowy limbs and a graceful neck, long and easy to snap.

“You’re not a dog,” Iwaizumi said, leaning forward to sniff him.

“I…I am so!” The boy scrambled to get off of him and got down on all fours, opening his mouth and letting out the most pathetic-sounding yips Iwaizumi had ever heard.  “See?”

“Was that supposed to be barking?” He sat up, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow.  He saw something swish behind the other boy and glanced around him, spotting a fluffy tail, auburn like his ears, with a white tuft at the end.  “You’re a fox?”

“No, I’m a dog,” the boy insisted, jumping when he heard the door to their training area open.  “Hide me!” he begged and ducked behind Iwaizumi.

It wasn’t that Iwaizumi didn’t want to hide him – though he didn’t – but there was nowhere _to_ hide him.  The training room was an open expanse with a few mats on the floor and weight machines scattered about.

“Tooru.” One of the scientists called and the boy behind him tensed. “I can see you, Tooru.”

“Ah.” He leapt out from behind Iwaizumi and flashed a peace sigh. “You found me. Now it’s your turn to hide.”

“You broke out of your room again.” The man stared down at him disapprovingly.  He had one hand in the pocket of his lab coat and the other held out toward the fox boy.  “Come.”

“Yes, Sir.” The boy – Tooru? – lowered his head and walked toward the other man, but he didn’t take his hand.  His ears were flattened and his tail was tucked between his legs.

Iwaizumi had never heard of anyone sneaking out of their room before.  He wondered if the boy would be okay.  Insolence was a weakness and those who didn’t follow the rules were severely punished.

“Um.” He stepped forward, catching the attention of both the fox boy and the scientist.  “Is he in trouble?”

“That’s really none of your business, is it?” The man sneered.

“I just thought because-”

“You’re not trained to think.” He held his hand up, ready to hit him. Iwaizumi ducked down and closed his eyes, his cropped ears flat against his head.  But the strike never came.

“Hajime!” His trainer was standing in front of him.  “Please excuse him.” He bowed low in front of the other scientist.  “He’s never acted out before.”

“Hajime?” The man looked around Iwaizumi’s trainer and eyed him. “This is the best your team has to offer?” He barked out a laugh. “It’s a good thing dogs are purchased solely for protection.” He snorted. “Just make sure to remind him that it’s better to be seen than heard.”

“Yes.” The trainer bowed again.

Then the scientist and the fox boy were gone.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi said, pressing low to the ground. “I offended that man.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Hajime.” His trainer smiled and sat down beside him, lifting his chin. “Some people think they’re better than you just because they’ve been given a special assignment.”

“Special assignment?” Iwaizumi asked, ears perking up.

“Oikawa Tooru,” he replied. “Their first successful fox hybrid.” He shook his head. “Too bad that man doesn’t know the idea’s been scrapped.” He stood up and held a hand out to help Iwaizumi up. “They’re not useful like dogs or cats. And they’re not nearly as ornamental as birds.”

Iwaizumi looked off in the direction in which the boy had gone.

Oikawa, huh?

But if their project was ending…

“Will Oikawa be okay?”

“Oh, Hajime.” His trainer bent down and put his hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eye. “You mustn’t concern yourself with that boy. You probably won’t ever see him again.”

Iwaizumi peeked over his shoulder, even though he knew Oikawa was long gone.

“Just focus on your training and getting ready for your family, okay?” He stood up and pat his head, scratching him behind his ears. “You’re our best and brightest and I expect big things from you.”

 

As it turned out, that was _not_ the last time Iwaizumi would see Oikawa.

In fact, the fox boy continued showing up for the next two years.

Almost every day, around the same time, he would sneak into the training area, find Iwaizumi, and sit beside him, talking incessantly about all manner of things.  Oikawa was always gone before their exercise time was over and he always seemed to disappear the moment his trainer walked back into the room.

“Today, a man came and asked to meet with me.”

“That’s nice,” Iwaizumi replied, half-listening.  He was doing bicep curls and trying to keep track of the number of reps he’d done.

“He said he liked my fur and my eyes.” Oikawa stroked his tail proudly and then looked up at Iwaizumi.  “Do you like my eyes, Iwa-chan?”

“I-Iwa…” He stammered and lost count.  “What the hell is that?”

“Your name.”

“My name is Iwaizumi,” he said gruffly, setting the weights down and moving over to one of three treadmills against the wall.

“Iwa-chan likes running, hm?”

“Don’t call me that.” He narrowed his eyes and got on his tiptoes to change the settings for speed and incline.  He just couldn’t quite reach the ‘start’ button.

“I can get that for you, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa jumped onto the treadmill and easily reached the button.  The fox boy got down just as the machine whirred to life.  “You might be bigger and stronger, but I’m still taller than you.” He put up two fingers in a v-shape and then yelped when Iwaizumi smacked his hand.

“Shut up, Noisykawa.”

“Hey, I’m not noisy!” he said noisily and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.  “I helped you. You should thank me.”

Iwaizumi didn’t answer, speeding up his pace as the machine switched from warm-up to cardio mode.

“You know, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa began, disregarding Iwaizumi’s attempts at ignoring him.  “This is kind of like us, don’t you think?” He pointed to the treadmill.

“What?” He turned toward him, never breaking his stride.

“Running around, doing our best, but never really going anywhere.” His features darkened.

“Maybe you won’t go anywhere, but I’m getting my forever home.” Iwaizumi said and then glared when Oikawa started laughing.

“What a childish thing to say.”

“Well excuse me for being a child.” He drew his brows down. “I’ve already had several requests, so I _will_ get a home, because, unlike you, I’m not a failure.”

He realized his mistake the moment the words left his mouth.  He stopped running and let the conveyor move him back until he stepped off the treadmill.

“Oikawa, I-”

“I’m _not_ a failure!” the fox boy cried, chocolate brown eyes filling with tears.  “Stupid, Iwa-chan!”  And, with that, he ran off, disappearing before Iwaizumi had a chance to apologize.

 

Oikawa didn’t show up the next day.

 

Or the day after that.

 

Iwaizumi started to worry when a week went by.  It wasn’t unusual for the fox boy to skip a day or two, but a whole week was unheard of.

He thought of ways he could ask his trainer without giving away the fact that Oikawa had been secretly visiting him.

“Where’s the fox?” someone’s voice broke Iwaizumi from his thoughts.  He turned and saw a younger boy with a strange hairstyle – bleached blonde with two black rings saved around his head.

“What fox, Kyoutani?” he asked, not wanting to talk to his self-proclaimed rival.

“The fox that’s always hanging around you.”

Iwaizumi stared at him in disbelief.  Oikawa only came when the others were busy sparring.  He figured they’d never seen him because none of them had ever asked about him before.

“How-”

“The smell,” Kyoutani answered, tilting his chin and sniffing the air.  “After he visits you, you stink.”

“What are you talking about?” Iwaizumi rubbed his temples, not wanting to deal with the other boy at the moment.

“When he’s been close to you, you reek of him.” He pulled a face. “It’s gross.”

Gross?  Oikawa didn’t smell gross.  In fact, Iwaizumi never noticed much of a scent on him at all.  Maybe something light, like citrus and flowers, but nothing that smelled bad.

“Anyway, where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Iwaizumi said and, honestly, he didn’t.

“Then, are you free to spar?” His expression was serious, almost angry, but his amber eyes sparkled.

After heaving an aggravated sigh, Iwaizumi clapped the younger boy on the back and led him over to the mats.

 

Oikawa finally came back a month later.

Iwaizumi was sleeping on his futon, one of many laid out on the floor of his litter’s shared room, when he felt someone nudging his shoulder.

“Iwa-chan,” a voice hissed.  Iwaizumi grumbled and his ears twitched, picking up the desperation in the other’s tone.  “Iwa-chan, _please_.”

“Oikawa?” He opened bleary eyes and looked up at the other boy, whose face was illuminated by the moonlight spilling in through the window, the thick iron bars painting dark stripes across his anxious face.  “You’re back?”

“They wouldn’t let me leave,” he whispered harshly, his voice cracking. “They found out I was sneaking out and locked me in.”

Oh, so that’s where he’d been.

“I’m…going to be sold,” Oikawa said, his ears dropping and lower lip quivering.

“That’s great.” Iwaizumi stifled a yawn. “You must be happy.”

Dogs weren’t sold until they were at least twelve.  They had to be properly trained if they were going to serve as guardians and protectors.  But, Oikawa was a fox and, maybe like cats, he could be sold earlier.

“I’m not happy at all,” Oikawa hissed, but then sucked in a breath when the door to the room opened.  He dove under the covers and pressed himself up against Iwaizumi’s body.

He was about to yell at him, but he stopped himself when he felt how badly the other was shaking, his trembling fingers gripping at the side of Iwaizumi's shirt.

Light from the hallway poured into the room as their trainer checked in on them, eyes scanning the slumbering pups before he nodded and closed the door.

“You can come out now,” Iwaizumi said.

“Don’t wanna…”

“Oikawa…” he threatened, a low growl rising in the back of his throat.

“Fine.” The fox boy extracted himself from beneath the blankets and sat beside Iwaizumi’s pillow.  “Thank you, Iwa-chan.”

“Why are you running?” he asked.  “Getting a ‘forever home’ is the whole po-”

“There you go again, parroting what they feed you.” Oikawa’s eyes were wild and that was enough to shut Iwaizumi up.  “The man who wants me.” He swallowed. “I…I don’t want to go with him.”  He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself.  “If he wanted that, he should have gotten a cat.”

A cat?

Suddenly it dawned on Iwaizumi.  Cats were the most sensual, bought not only for their beauty, but for their seductive skills.  They hadn't talked about it much in his training, but he remembered those words.

“I don’t want to go with him…”

“Then stay,” Iwaizumi said, like it was that simple.  He knew it wasn’t.

“I don’t want to stay either…”

“I don’t understand you.” He frowned up at him.  “You don’t want to go, but-”

“I want to go,” Oikawa said a little too loudly.  Kyoutani snarled in his sleep and then turned over.  “I want to go,” he repeated, softer this time. “But I want to take you with me, Iwa-chan.”

“Take me…” He blinked. “Are you insane?”

“I know a way to get out, but I’m not strong enough to lift the-”

“So, you want to use me.”

“Yes.” Oikawa said, face more serious than Iwaizumi had ever seen it.  “But, more than that, I want you to come with me.”

“For protection.”

“Because you’re my friend!”  He ducked his head and glanced over his shoulder.  Iwaizumi followed his gaze toward the back of Kyoutani’s head.  Thankfully, the other boy didn’t move.  “Iwa-chan, please come with me, I,” he bit his lip, “I can’t do this without you.”

He’d have to be crazy if he was going to throw away his perfect record and chance at a plush lifestyle for the fox who did nothing, but annoy him.

“Iwa-chan…” he sniffled.  “Please…”

 

Iwaizumi awoke to a dark room and the warmth of another body pressed against his.

He hadn’t dreamt of the past in a long time.  Though, it was probably because it was the anniversary of their escape.

“Thirteen years,” he mused, his breath stirring the chestnut curls beneath his chin.

“Mmn.” The man next to him lifted his head and looked up at him before a slow smile spread across his lips.  “’Mornin’, Iwa-chan.”

“It’s still late.”

“Is it?” He stretched, his pointed ears folding back as he lifted his arms over his head.  He let out a little whine before nuzzling closer to his boyfriend’s larger body.  “I had a weird dream,” he said against Iwaizumi’s chest.

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

They lay in comfortable silence for a moment before Oikawa spoke again.

“Thank you, Iwa-chan.”

“For what?”

“For coming with me all those years ago.”

“Idiot.” Iwaizumi said and turned away, his cheeks tinting pink.

“Iwa-chan, me---ean,” Oikawa said, but he yawned in the middle of it.

“Go back to sleep.”

“Mmm…”

Iwaizumi looked up at their ceiling, littered with water stains.  His gaze drifted over to the threadbare curtains covering their window and the table with two chairs set up next to their minuscule kitchen.

The digital clock on his nightstand read ‘3:00AM.’  He had two more hours before he had to be up for work.  Construction was tough, but it paid well and they didn’t care that he was a hybrid.

He took one more glance at their tiny apartment, with its shabby carpet and peeling wallpaper.

It wasn’t much.

Iwaizumi felt Oikawa move closer, arms squeezing him tight before the fox let out a contented sigh.

It wasn’t much.  But it was his everything.

“Iwa-chan,” he murmured in his sleep and Iwaizumi smiled, ruffling his hair and inhaling his light, floral scent.

This was his forever home.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, that got pretty corny at the end, hehe. But I couldn't help it... ^^;
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!


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